The enrolled student population at Ohio State University-Main Campus is 61.1% White, 8.6% Asian, 7.51% Black or African American, 5.59% Hispanic or Latino, 4.21% Two or More Races, 0.0562% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0413% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 47.5% White, 15.5% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.58% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 2,016 students (3.33%) did not report their race.